DAPPMAN To FG: Fix Aging Pipelines, Ports To Match Refining Growth
By ESTHER McWILLIS-IKHIDE
THE Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has called on the Federal Government to urgently upgrade the nation’s decaying energy infrastructure, warning that outdated pipelines, congested ports, and poor logistics could undermine Nigeria’s refining gains.
DAPPMAN Chairperson, Mrs. Moroti Adedoyin-Adeyinka, made the appeal on Wednesday during the OTL Africa Downstream Week 2025 in Lagos. Represented by Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoma, Group Managing Director of Nepal Energies Ltd, she delivered a paper on trade and infrastructure challenges in Nigeria’s downstream sector.
Adedoyin-Adeyinka noted that while the Dangote Refinery’s 650,000 barrels-per-day capacity is a historic step toward energy independence, its benefits risk being eroded by weak supporting infrastructure. She highlighted that most of Nigeria’s pipelines—built over four decades ago—now suffer from vandalism, limited capacity, and neglect, forcing marketers to rely on road haulage with higher costs, longer delays, and increased product losses.
She also pointed to shallow ports, congestion, and complex customs procedures as major constraints to efficient petroleum distribution, urging government to digitalise port operations, simplify customs processes, and improve vessel turnaround times to enhance trade competitiveness.
The DAPPMAN leader said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) provides a robust framework for reform through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF). However, she lamented slow implementation and poor coordination, which continue to discourage investors.
To accelerate progress, Adedoyin-Adeyinka proposed the creation of a Downstream Infrastructure Implementation Taskforce within the NMDPRA to harmonise tariffs, ensure open access to facilities, and fast-track key projects.
She further called for pipeline links between Dangote Refinery and inland depots, expanded northern storage capacity, and digitalised truck parks to ensure safe and efficient fuel movement.
On regional trade, she urged Nigeria to push for harmonised fuel standards across ECOWAS and the AfCFTA, and establish cross-border depots to strengthen export potential.
Adedoyin-Adeyinka concluded that Nigeria stands on the verge of ending decades of fuel imports but warned that true success will depend on “matching refining progress with transparent policies and modern infrastructure.”
“The end of fuel imports is near,” she said. “But our success depends on whether infrastructure and regulation can keep pace with refining growth.”
